Writing a Novel With Purpose

 

At 27,000 words my story is laid out in scenes. I have research notes, old scenes to include or delete, and backstory to use or not. I like to write! But piecing it all together and then deciding what kind of novel I have, there are important questions to ask myself. 

·       What is the purpose of this story; share something with the world, make money, or get it out of my head?

·       Who is my audience; young adult, general audience children? 

·       What voice will I use; serious, funny, mysterious, lighthearted?

·       What mood and emotions do I want running through the story; joy, fear, tension?

·       How will I describe my scenes; sights, sounds, smells, touch? 

·       What point of view will I use; first (I), second (you), or third person (he, she)?

·       How many points of view will I need to tell the story; one or more?

·       How will I reach my readers; events/activities, social media, word of mouth? 

I started writing my novel in the first person with one POV. I was looking through my own eyes, but as I added more significant characters and depth to my story, I added a point of view (POV) for every character that needed a voice for my story to make sense. When beta readers asked, “How did that happen?” I knew I needed the character to explain what he was doing in the scene. 

In the heat of the summer, When Writing Feels Like a Chore, it is important to reignite your passion for writing. 

Once I ignite my passion, the next problem is to stop and take a break, eat lunch, check on my puppy or the laundry, or get some sleep. Where did the time go?

I have written creative scenes or backstory from a prompt at my Zoom writing group and share some of my writing at:

Linkedin: Inspiring Writing Group.